How Is Music Linked to the Consumption of Fashion Goods - Essay Example

Student’s Name] [Teacher’s Name] [Class] How is music linked to the consumption of fashion goods? Introduction Popular culture today has two central components which are inalienably linked to each other i.e. music and fashion. Historically, the clothes worn by music and movie stars have been seen as desirable and beautiful by the youth of the nation for many decades. However, I believe it was Elvis Presley who was the first music star to influence the fashion sense of an entire generation in a significant way. In the new millennium, we have stars we can emulate no matter what our taste and sense in fashion. In fact, we have got to the stage where music styles and fashion styles are carrying the same names and labels to describe a particular lifestyle e.g. glam rock, hip hop, gothic etc. Fashion and Music The fundamental connection between the two is and always has been about money. It is not enough to sell records that go platinum, the stars of today and their managers want to sell an image and that image come with CDs, coats, shirts, underwear or even fetish wear as discovered by rap star Eve (Rozhan, 2004). Of course success in the fashion industry appears to be much more difficult than success in the music industry simply because of association with an image or a brand name. For example, Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs launched his design label a few years ago with a street image which did not meet with the success he expected (Rozhan, 2004). It was only after he changed his own image and launched a more mainstream type of clothing that his designs got some level of acceptance. Sean might have been too early with a hip hop line though because recent developments in music and fashion show that the hip hop image is gaining in popularity (Garofoli, 2006). Hip hop is getting a good response since it comes as being more acceptable to the mainstream than hardcore rap. It all has to do with the image which the fashion stricken teenager wants to project, hardcore rap comes with certain assumptions and image labels which has been exploited by brands like Fubu and others but hip hop is more accessible (Rozhan, 2004). Hip hop has become one of the defining factors in the music industry, commercials, fashion and film. The primary connection between music and fashion is the image which a musician or artist will have. Since the time of Oscar Wilde, the dress sense of an artist has been seen as unfashionable, eccentric, rather odd, and then acceptable. In fact, there have been situations where a style or fashion introduced by an artist went out of fashion and the artists themselves had to change their image to get back in touch with what the mainstream was looking for. Madonna is one example with immediately comes to mind since she has probably reinvented herself more times than any other performer. For example, in the 1980s, Madonna’s fashion accessories, rosaries and crucifixes with denim skirts were all the rage, however, in the new millennium she changed her image when she partnered with Ali G for the music video of ‘music’ dressed in white furs with a hip hop image. It simply goes to show that a successful artist will know when to change their image and when to alter it to be in line with what the public wants. David Bowie is another example of an artist going through various transformations to become a legend in both the music industry and the fashionable world. Sing and Sew While neither Madonna nor David has launched a clothing line, there are several examples of other music industry gurus who have. In fact, there are an increasing number of rock stars who think they can make it as a designer and get their audience to wear their name. These artists are in a good position to launch their design labels for a variety of reasons. The first of which is their already established brand identity. Eve, the rap star, has established herself as being something of a maverick even in the rap industry and has connected a very sexual image to herself. It is easy to see how that brand identity can be used to launch a fetish related clothing line. Beyoncé Knowles has also created a hip hop image with her music and she is banking on the success of hip hop as a rediscovered music genre to launch her clothing line. Her clothing is expected to be a part of the mainstream compared to Eve’s designs simply because she is more popular and can hope to attract a wider crowd to see her designs wherever they are displayed. Therefore, a clothing line is simply an extension of the brand identity which the star has created with the help of his/her managers and publicity experts. At the same time, it does not seem that the stars are aware of how difficult it can be to succeed in the fashion industry. While the design and creative process associated with the clothes is a significant task, even more difficult are the logistics of production and eventual delivery to the end user (Storey, 1999). I find it difficult to imagine that any artists would find enough time to sit down and design their own clothes without the formal training and education which is more or less a requirement for breaking into the fashion world. Again, the star is simply providing their name to the clothing label while the design, manufacture, production and delivery of the product is handled by other people. In no way does this tarnish the image of the star since in public they always project ‘their’ designs. They have a pre-established industry of tabloids and paparazzi that are waiting to take every picture they have to offer on the red carpet (Freydkin, 2006). By wearing their own labels, they are simply saving time, effort and cost in terms of advertising. Additionally, they have access to some of the longest running ads on prime time TV if we consider their music videos to carry a sense of their own fashion style. As suggested by Lucy (1996) the image creates the brand identity and that is what sells with the public. Without that image, the star is nothing more than a person with a good voice. Good Business The connection between music and fashion is not something which should be scorned; in fact, I think it makes good business sense to connect the two since the target market of both these products is often very close if not completely overlapping. Today, no matter what “look” teenagers want to go for, they will probably find a band, singer, musician or an actor who favours that look (Rozhan, 2004). Even if a person takes up the seldom seen ‘Gothic’ lifestyle, there is particular music, clothing and accessories that go with that style. Consider the strange situation a teenager (assuming he/she is a Rage Against the Machine fan) is placed in when they wish to have an anti-capitalist message on their novelty shirt. Just to buy that shirt, they might have to part with more money than they would have to pay for a normal one. Does it defeat the purpose of the artist or the message they want to give to the public? I do not think it matters to anyone involved in the process as long as business is being done and everyone ends up being happy. A similar concept can be applied to the rap flavoured brand ‘Fubu’ since the lyrics of their songs deal with living in a slum area and having a tough life, yet the prices of their clothes match those which are charged by popular designers like Ralph Lauren or Donna Karen. Again, the image of living a ‘hardcore’ life and being a non-conformist to the nice teen look comes at a steep price. No one ever said creating an identity was cheap. The Future It is my opinion that in the future, other than music and fashion, a third element will be included in the equation i.e. technology. Today’s youth have to carry mobile phones, MP3 players, PDAs and possibly a gaming device along with related accessories. Although there have been clothes that integrate technology with themselves, they have yet to gain mainstream popularity (Marks, 2005). The iPod is the fashion accessory of the year and if Steve Jobs keeps creating and redesigning the iPod at the rate he is, it is entirely possible that he himself jumps into the designer foray and we could see Apple branded suits at Harrods’. Conclusion The mix between fashion and music is a healthy mix since it promotes business. Objections may be made to the purity of music or accusations of an artist being a sell out but I think these become immaterial when the artist sells 5 million copies of their song while creating a billion dollar fashion house. At the end of the day, it is the decision of the consumer to buy something or not and if they like what the designer/musician has to offer then they will. Otherwise, the designs or the albums will remain on shelves until they have to be discarded. Works Cited Lucy, C. 1996. Consumer Culture, Polity Press, London. Storey, J. 1999. Cultural Consumption and everyday life, Arnold, London. Marks, P. 2005. ‘Fashion industry covets iPod factor’. New Scientist; vol. 186, no. 2502, pp26-26 Rozhon, T. 2004. ‘Hot on the Charts? Then How About the Racks?’ New York Times, vol. 153 no. 52848, ppC1-C6. Garofoli, W. 2006. ‘Hip Hop's Elite Status’. Dance Spirit, vol. 10 no. 3, pp38-101. Freydkin, D. 2006. ‘Mariah's fashion passion’. USA Today, 06 Feb, p. 10d Read More